Chen has quality start in Orioles win

Staff writer, with CNA

AMERICAN LEAGUE

Taiwan’s Chen Wei-yin had a quality start in the Baltimore Orioles’ 4-3 victory at home over the Chicago White Sox on Monday, but ended with a no-decision because his team did not rally for the win until late in the game.

Chen shut out the White Sox for five innings, nursing a 1-0 lead provided by a Lew Ford homer in the bottom of the second, but he got into trouble in the sixth.

Dewayne Wise reached base on a ground ball to lead off the inning after Chen dropped a throw to first for an error, and Kevin Youkilis pounded the left-hander’s next pitch into the left field seats to put Chicago up 2-1.

The Kaohsiung native was pulled after pitching out the inning, ending his chances for his 13th win this season. In his six innings, the 12-7 Chen allowed only four hits and one earned run, and he struck out eight.

The Orioles pulled the game even in the bottom of the sixth with a single and three walks, but the White Sox again pulled ahead in the top of the eighth, when they scored a run on three straight hits off Orioles’ set-up man Pedro Strop.

Nate McLouth responded with a two-run home run in the bottom of the eighth, securing the win for the Orioles, who now have a 70-57 record and are tied for the top wild-card spot in the American League with the Oakland Athletics.

Meanwhile, while Chen has emerged as the ace on a surprisingly strong team in his rookie major league season, countryman Wang Chien-ming continues to struggle in the minor leagues as he battles to regain a roster spot in the majors.

Wang gave up six runs on nine hits over five innings for the Washington Nationals’ double-A team, the Harrisburg Senators, in an 8-6 loss to the Richmond Flying Squirrels in Richmond on Monday. Wang has struggled recently with hip troubles.

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